The Judicial Nominations Blog

This week, the Senate is holding votes on six nominations, including four to the judiciary, and the Judiciary Committee will convene  an executive business meeting. Floor Action:¹ Monday: The Senate will vote at 5:30 pm to invoke cloture on the nomination of Brunini Law Firm member  Taylor B. McNeel  to be a Judge of the Southern District of Mississippi, in Gulfport. Democrats oppose McNeel for, among other reasons,  his vote as a local school board member to reopen schools for in-person learning . If confirmed, he would fill a judicial emergency from 2018. Tuesday: The Senate will vote to confirm McNeel, and will then vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge J. Philip Calabrese  to be a Judge of the Northern District of Ohio, in Cleveland. Democrats oppose Calabrese for his representation of former Murray Energy CEO Robert Murray in a defamation lawsuit , among other things, and if confirmed, he would fill a vacanc...

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 2   ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 1   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 50   ( ±  0 ) Future Vacancies: 3   ( ±  0 ) Pending Nominations: Courts of Appeals: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 0   ( ±  0  this week) Hearings held and still in Committee:  1   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 0   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 19   ( ±  0 ) Hearings held and still in Committee: 3   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 6   ( ±  0 ) Court of Federal Claims: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 2   ( ±  0 ) Hearings held and still in Committee: 1   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 4   ( ±  0 )...

This week, the Senate is out of session, with senators back in their home-states for Thanksgiving.  Pro forma  sessions (to prevent recess appointments) will be held on November 24th and November 27th. Next week, the Senate will return to consider four nominations, including three to the judiciary.

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 2   ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 1   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 50   ( - 5 )¹ Future Vacancies: 3   ( +  1 ) Richard D. Bennett, District of Maryland, senior status, TBD, 1/10 seats vacant ¹ Pending Nominations: Courts of Appeals: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 0   ( ±  0  this week) Hearings held and still in Committee:  1   ( +  1 ) Thomas L. Kirsch II, of Indiana, to be a United States Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit ( hearing held , November 18, 2020) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 0   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 19   ( - 2 ) Joseph L. Barloon, of Maryland, to be a Judge of the United States Court of International Trade ( officially nominated , November 16, 2020) Hearings held and still in Committee: ...

This week, the Senate is holding votes on seven nominations, including six to the judiciary, and the Judiciary Committee will convene  a nominations hearing and  an executive business meeting . Floor Action:¹ Monday: The Senate will vote at 5:30 pm to invoke cloture on the nomination of Solicitor General of Mississippi  Kristi H. Johnson to be a Judge of the Southern District of Mississippi. Democrats oppose Johnson for her work for the State of Mississippi , and if confirmed, she would fill a judicial emergency from 2019. Tuesday: The Senate will vote to confirm Johnson, and will then vote to invoke cloture on the nomination of Squire Patton Boggs partner Benjamin J. Beaton to be a Judge of the Western District of Kentucky. Democrats oppose Beaton for his writings on affirmative action , among other things, and if confirmed, he would fill a vacancy from September 2020. In the afternoon, the Senate will vote to confirm Beaton and will vote to invoke cloture on the nomin...

Vacancies: Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 2   ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 1   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Current Vacancies: 55   ( - 2 ) Future Vacancies: 2   ( ±  0 ) Pending Nominations: Courts of Appeals: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 0   ( ±  0  this week) Hearings held and still in Committee:  0   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 0   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 21   ( ±  0 ) Hearings held and still in Committee: 0   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 11   ( - 2 ) Court of Federal Claims: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 3   ( ±  0 ) Hearings held and still in Committee: 0   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 4   ( ±  0 ) Tax Court:...

This week, the Senate is holding votes on one nomination to the judiciary . Floor Action:¹ Monday: The Senate will vote at 5:30 pm to invoke cloture on the nomination of Magistrate Judge James R. Knepp II to be a District Judge of the Northern District of Ohio, in Toledo. Knepp's nomination is relatively noncontroversial, and if confirmed, he would fill a vacancy from 2019. Tuesday: The Senate will vote to confirm Knepp. Wednesday: The Senate will be in recess to observe Veterans Day. Thursday: The Senate will vote to invoke cloture on and confirm the nomination of Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Aileen Cannon to be a Judge of the Southern District of Florida, in Fort Pierce. Cannon's nomination is relatively noncontroversial, and if confirmed, she would fill a judicial emergency from 2017. Notes: ¹The floor schedule is an approximate guide to when votes may occur. It may not necessarily be completely accurate due to things changing in the ...

Vacancies: Supreme Court: Current Vacancies: 0   ( ±  0  this week) Future Vacancies: 0   ( ±  0 ) Courts of Appeals: Current Vacancies: 2   ( ±  0 ) Future Vacancies: 1   ( +  1 ) Joel M. Flaum, Seventh Circuit, senior status, November 30, 2020, 2/11 seats vacant District Courts: Current Vacancies: 57   ( ±  0 ) Future Vacancies: 2   ( ±  0 ) Pending Nominations: Supreme Court: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 0   ( ±  0  this week) Hearings held and still in Committee: 0   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 0   ( ±  0 ) Courts of Appeals: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing: 0   ( ±  0 ) Hearings held and still in Committee: 0   ( ±  0 ) Reported out of Committee/Pending on Executive Calendar: 0   ( ±  0 ) District Courts: Pending before Senate Judiciary Committee without hearing...

This week, the Senate is out of session, with senators back in their home-states for the November 3rd election.  Pro forma  sessions (to prevent recess appointments) will be held on November 3rd and November 6th. Next week, the Senate will return to consider one nomination to the judiciary.